Little warning I forgot to put into the beginning. This is a semi-erotic chapter. Proceed with caution.
Turning the large page of the multi-facetted binder, Steve rubbed the bridge of his nose, hoping it would allow him to focus through one more area of research and one more collection of binders, before calling it a night.
At close to 10pm, he wasn't even sure if Mike would still be in the office if and when he returned. And perhaps, that was just as good. His mind wasn't ready for the open-hearted conversation the Lieutenant would want to have.
"I am getting ready to leave, are you sure you don't want me to grab you some dinner real quick, sweet cheeks?"
Sandy peeked around the door-frame, that legendary blonde mane reaching past her elbows by now. Glancing up and returning the genuine smile, Steve slowly shook his head.
"Thanks, but I think I'll pass. The way this day's been going doesn't leave me with much appetite. I just need to find this guy…"
Pouting in disappointment, the petite Head of Records let her shoulders slump and entered the small work area, already dressed in her civvies for the night. Utilizing the open spot by his coffee cup, she sat down on the wooden desk and set her purse on the ground, before reaching for his cold hand with both of hers.
"You look run down. Why don't you take a break? You've been looking at mugshots for the past four hours. If you keep pushing it, you're going to overlook something."
Enjoying her warm fingers running over the knuckles on his left hand, Steve sighed in frustration, before nodding.
"I just can't stop. I know he's gotta be in here somewhere."
"You've already been through half of what I gave you. Take a break for a few minutes, Stephen. I am serious."
Leaning back in the uncomfortable chair and stretching his aching back, Steve couldn't help but grin mischievously.
"And just what am I supposed to do in that…that break you ordered?"
"Well…let's see…", Sandy slid off the desk before locking the door to the nearby hallway. With a wide smile, she returned and sat down on his lap, careful not to bump her thighs on the armrest, "We could re-live some of our more…memorable moments. Anything to get a stressed Homicide Inspector such as yourself to relax a little…get your mind off things…"
"I guess I need to thank you for those homemade treats in one form or another…", Steve teased and watched her slowly undo his gray tie, before playing with the buttons of his fuchsia dress shirt.
"In that case, I will get right back to baking when I get home…", Sandy giggled, before leaning into his space and kissing the side of his neck, "You know, I wondered what you were up to these days. When I spoke to Monica yesterday, she said that you called her up a few weeks ago, needing some playtime. Are you ever going to pick something off the menu or will you spend the rest of your days ordering up appetizers?"
"I haven't heard you…or her complain so far…", Steve countered in sensual excitement and reached forward to pull the white sweater over Sandy's head. Taking a moment to play with her luscious blonde mane, he couldn't help but glance past her and back at the booking folder full of mugshots.
"No complaints from my side, sweet cheeks. Your pretty face and everything attached to it is always welcome down here…"
His vision blurred for a moment when Sandy pulled the dress shirt over his shoulders and gently kissed his chest, before busying herself with his belt buckle.
As his eyes scanned the last row of guys once more, Steve froze when he finally recognized his subject.
Noting his change in body language, Sandy hesitated, then looked up at him in foreboding worry.
"You're not getting shy on me now, are you?"
"No...not shy…", Steve answered with a slightly trembling voice, as he turned the chair with both of them in it to the side, far enough to get a better look at the mugshot.
"That's him, Sandy, that's my guy!"
Sighing in annoyance, she stood back up, readjusting her black skirt and reaching for her sweater, before bending over the desk to look at the image.
"Albert Mulligan?...Forty-five years old, two-hundred-forty pounds, looks like he was booked on a drunk and disorderly charge and indecent exposure a couple of years ago."
Nervously tucking his dress shirt back into his pants, Steve rose from the chair, his long fingers tracing the few pieces of information listed below the mug shot.
"This doesn't give me an address or anything, Sandy…"
Following his index finger sliding down the small column of biological data, the records keeper nodded faintly, as she readjusted her hair.
"If it's missing, most of the time you're looking at a homeless guy. If there would have been any address or anything to go by, it would have been in this book. Let me pull his file and I can make some print outs for you if that helps…"
Nodding in appreciation, Steve first dialed Charley O'Conner's number in R&I, hoping to get the grunt work started on a preliminary investigation into their suspect. Once done, he dialed Mike's number, surprised to find the Lieutenant still in his office.
"Homicide. Stone."
"I found our guy, Mike. Albert Mulligan. Booked on an indecent exposure charge as well as a D&D."
"That fast? How did you-…never mind all that, does it say where he's at now?"
Just in time, Sandy returned with a thin folder, outlining what little information there was available about their suspect.
"Says here that he pleaded insanity in court. They changed his sentencing to a six-month probationary period with a mandatory one-month observational stay at Franklin Hospital's Psych ward. I think it's time to give Murchinson another call."
"I'll handle that right now. Meet me down in the garage with anything you got in ten minutes."